Louisburg, N.C. — A Franklin County grand jury has indicted former Sheriff Pat Green on two counts of embezzlement, authorities said Tuesday.

Green, who resigned in January as the State Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into money missing from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, made his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. He wept as the judge read the charges aloud.

Green is accused of taking $221,543 from the sheriff's office between Nov. 20, 2007, and Jan. 30, 2011, according to the indictments. Of that money, $203,300 was earmarked for undercover drug buys. He is accused of taking the rest from the sheriff's evidence room.

According to court records, Green received $232,000 for the sheriff's office drug unit between October 2007 and December 2010, but only $28,900 went to the unit for undercover drug buys.

SBI agents interviewed Green in June about the unaccounted money, and he admitted to taking as much as $90,000 while in a state of depression following the November 2008 death of his first wife, Tracy.

"I took money. I'm not going to lie to y'all," an application for a search warrant quotes Green as saying. "I've been depressed. I wanted to stay home. I took money to buy things for the kids."

The document doesn't elaborate on whether "the kids" are Green's children or other children.

Green told the SBI that he also used some of the drug unit money to pay his mortgage and other bills.

Franklin County in February released nearly 300 pages of emails and financial records dating to 2008 that detail numerous requests by Green for thousands of dollars that he said were to be used for undercover drug investigations.

According to the documents, county Finance Director Chuck Murray said the sheriff told him that "he was working on a huge federal drug investigation that involved a county commissioner and two senators."

Previously released documents show that Green also received thousands of dollars in donations to the annual Shop with a Cop program for underprivileged children, and much of the money wasn't accounted for. Green reimbursed the sheriff's office for $6,000 of that money in March.

Even with Green's admission, an SBI agent said in the search warrant application, more than $100,000 in unused drug unit money remained unaccounted for, and investigators have been trying to track it down.

wildcatOct 26, 2011

THEY SHOULD SEND THIS FORMER SHERIFF TO PRISON FOR 30 YEARS TO FACE HIS CONSEQUENCES. HE IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW. HE IS NOW A CRIMINAL. MANY HAVE LOST A LOVE ONE BUT DID NOT REVERT TO CRIME. HE DESERVES WHATEVER HAPPENS TO HIM IN PRISON. HE KNEW BETTER AND HE SAYS HE WAS AT ONE TIME UP HOLDING THE LAW. NOW THE LAW IS UP HOLDING HIM. PRAYING THAT HE WILL LIVE IN PRISON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SUCH A DISGRACE TO SOCIETY AND FAMILY.

cam7002Oct 26, 2011

"More than $100,000 in unused drug unit money remained unaccounted for, and investigators have been trying to track it down. Green was released Tuesday after posting $100,000 bond. He declined to comment about the charges." Ha ha ha! The other thing that gets me is that they charged him with only TWO counts? Come on! How many times did he stick his hand in the till? Talk about going easy on him. Any old Joe Sixpack would have had fifty counts charged.

fuab1Oct 26, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/user/josphine12#p/u/5/VX2D57TiY94 check out this video here is the 46 YEAR OLD guy admitting to giving a 16 YEAR OLD liquor and she went to her bedroom and never left the house while her mother was in the hospital franklin county sheriff's department was given this tape and they said no crime was committed the guy that did this was not living there and was only a friend of the family who was supposed to be taking and picking up the kids from school and taking them to the grocery store and that was it it he was not living there nor was he suppose to stay there so how would he know the girl went to her bedroom and never left the house. he got her drunk only to take advantage of her and she did not know what was going on.

G-manOct 26, 2011

In previous articles it was mentioned that he is a democrat but how is it relevant? are you keeping score? Classified

No need the republicans could never catch up.

fuab1Oct 26, 2011

serves him right think about the people that he had charges pressed against them and they were innocent i know one person that was innocent that he done this to and have proof of innocence of this person. also HE SAID a 46 YEAR OLD man can give a 16 OLD CHILD liquor and he said that was not a CRIME.

Here2tellyaOct 26, 2011

another one who thinks he's above the law.

Red GreenOct 26, 2011

"Here is the hypocracy of it all ... the media showing that he's in trouble, and his reason. ... but they say nothing about him being a 'Democrat!' ... if he were a republican, it would be sprayed all over!" - lineOfDuty

In previous articles it was mentioned that he is a democrat but how is it relevant? are you keeping score?

J.FranklinCOOct 26, 2011

First your ROBBING the CRADLE with your new wife...and NOW ROBBING little children. What is wrong with you? Sitting in court wiping away your tears. I do not feel sorry for you at all. Your werent crying when you took the money. Your wifes death is not to blame for your actions. You locked people up daily for doing the same thing you did, now its time to pay for what you did.

TheseusOct 26, 2011

"I wanted to stay home. I took money to buy things for the kids."

Hey let's not be too hard on the good sheriff. After all he was depressed. He really needs a good shrink rather than a stretch in the pokey. And really folks, let's face it, we can't blame him. What is the use of being a Democrat if you can't act like one?

quatenOct 25, 2011

"Bryant Barnett, a life-long resident who lives near Green, believes the former sheriff's punishment should be severe."